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[lordcooper]

A really simple suggestion of mine would be to add a curiosity factor to children.

This should make them perform such annoying acts as pulling random levers, wandering off into the wilds, following a random dwarf around for ages etc etc.

To combat this, there could be either a creche building which would require say 1 'childminder' to each 3 kids, or perhaps one of a dwarfs parents could be nominated to look after the child and keep it entertained at the cost of being unable to work.

[Derakon]

So in short, either players have to suffer a decrease in the available workforce in addition to the extra food/booze/pathfinding FPS consumed by the child, or we have to risk children destrotying the fortress (or causing flooding, or letting the invaders in) with an errant lever pull? No thanks.

[SHAD0Wdump]

I'd think it might be interesting,but remember,these are Dwarven children. Who says they are as unruly as human children?

[Dwaref]

I think it sounds radical!
Dwarf children should be no better than kobolds!

This could introduce different methds of rearing them(ie beat them brown for anything) or designing a fortress that is child-safe!

IE keys to important rooms, restricted access for minors etc.
IMO grown dwarves should also have a chance of becoming 'feebleminded' when suffering trauma to the head or from a fluke during breeding, and behave in the exact same way.

'Caretakers' would look after the injured and the young and infirm, escorting the Downs dwarves that slunk in out of the lever death room marked as 'grownups only'.
The fortress guard would make perfect candidates to enforce clearance-rules, and deal out beatings to the feebleminded while they discipline the children(who will grow up to know better).

Dwarven culture does not enforce itself! Even migrants should be inept hangers-on, so just not your own kids grow up to be nitwits.

[Idiom]

More dead dwarves! I fully support this.

[SirHoneyBadger]

Maybe children can't actually pull levers (yeah, I don't want my Fortress destroyed because Junior didn't get the piece of candy he wanted), but I like curiosity for kids--maybe they can ask adults a lot of questions, catch vermin and study them, visit animals in cages, visit adults while they're working/spy on adults--not just their parents, and not always just ones they like--collect rocks, put harmless things in their mouth (coins, rocks, bugs), etc., and be easily distracted by/admire new (shiny) things?

They might not pull the level, but they might admire a new one, for it's newness.

[Dwaref]

Pulling levers is rad. I think they should.
If levers are so dangerous, then i advocate additional features to safeguard them.

[Pilsu]

Men of old had a habit of beating the stupid out of the kids. Lever pulling isn't very realistic

Older kids should get into fist fights and other shenanigans though. Younger ones eating bugs, marbles and other stupid crap sounds about right. Let's leave out the choking hazard though, that doesn't really contribute to the game

[SirHoneyBadger]

Yeah, I don't see them choking on things, just slobbering on them.

[Dwaref]

Kids choke on things!

I'm an advocate of gritty realism. Fantastic gritty realism.

[SirHoneyBadger]

Well, we are getting health care, and health care professionals, so if we had choking, we'd admittedly also have the means to deal with it.

I don't think it should be a common event for a kid to really, honestly, choke on something, and if they do, I think they should have a very good chance to cough it up.

I don't think I ever choked on anything, my whole life, and I used to eat rocks, quarters, all kinds of weird stuff growing up.

Dwarf kids might be especially immune to that kind of thing, too.

Could dwarfs get some basic first aid? Maybe if one dwarf saw another dwarf choking, they could administer the Heimlich maneuvar?

[Craftling]

And children can throw rocks and mud at people!

[SirHoneyBadger]

Is it forgiveable-or atleast understandable-to want to pretend that dwarfs invented the hula hoop?

[Grax]

And children can throw rocks and mud at people!

Also they're starting fires around with a single match.
And i don't even imagine what a thing they'll do with magma... ;-)

[Eater of Vermin]

I dunno 'bout others, but going by my own (and my siblings) childhoods, the kids would be more inclined to "borrow" someones weapon and a torch (although they're not int DF... yet) then spend the rest of the day exploring the furthest, darkest corridors.

Until teatime, anyway.